With the Romo series, drone manufacturer DJI is venturing into new territory. The vacuum and mopping robot arrives in your home equipped with a 25,000 Pa motor and, thanks to its drone experience, aims to impress with its navigation and obstacle detection capabilities in particular. The detailed test reveals whether DJI succeeds in making a successful debut with its vacuum robot or whether it is a crash landing.

Design and setup of the DJI Romo P

The DJI Romo P has a crazy design. Both the station and the robot are transparent. Customers can therefore see the inner workings. It all looks mechanical. In my opinion, it is a refreshing innovation to the otherwise rather monotonous robot vacuums. However, with a height of 9.8 cm, the DJI Romo is significantly taller than other vacuum and mop robots (best list) on the market. As is typical for premium vacuum cleaners, the DJI Romo P has an extendable side brush and a swivel mop. The main brush is composed of two parts, ensuring that no hair gets tangled.

As mentioned, the station also features a transparent outer shell. It measures 45.3 × 42.5 × 44 cm and is about as wide as a beer crate. There are two water tanks in the dock – one for dirty water and another for the fresh water supply. There are also two additional mini tanks. One is for a conventional cleaning solution, and the other is an odor remover. The second is a nice advantage, especially for households with four-legged friends. A suction function rounds off the range of functions.

You use the DJI Home app for control. We used the iOS version in our test. The setup is simple. Enter the Wi-Fi data, connect the station to the mains, and roll the robot into the dock. The robot vacuum then sets off on an exploration tour.

DJI Home app in detail

In principle, the DJI Home app has a similar structure to that of its competitors. You select the suction level and adjust the water flow rate. You can also choose specific zones to be cleaned.

In the other settings, you can adjust the navigation as you wish. Finally, you can specify how the station’s warning functions should be executed.

To summarize, the DJI Home app has a minimalist design. Users don’t have to spend ages searching for functions. In my opinion, customers who encounter a robot vacuum for the first time will have no trouble operating it.

Vacuuming and mopping performance of the DJI Romo P

For its first premium robot hoover, the drone manufacturer is relying on a suction power of 25,000 Pa. This is not quite on the same level as the vacuum robot test winner (test), but it can be placed in the upper range. The high suction power is one of the reasons for the good suction result. The DJI Romo P showcases its skills particularly on hard floors. Whether oatmeal or sand in our test, the floor is cleaned thoroughly. It also performed well in corners. This is hardly surprising, as the robot has the aforementioned mobile side brush on board.

The robot only struggles with high-pile carpets. Here, the efficiency drops slightly more than with comparable robot vacuum models. On the other hand, the Romo P has no problems with animal or human hair. After our test procedure, we did not have to remove tangled hair from either the main or the side brush.

The Romo P leaves a mixed impression during the mopping process. The mops are very reminiscent of the Narwal Freo X Ultra (test). It scrubs away fresh and slightly dried stains effortlessly. In this case, not even the highest water flow rate is necessary. The robot only has a visibly difficult time with firmly dried stains. Even after several passes, the DJI robot is unable to thoroughly wipe isolated areas. At least the corner cleaning is convincing. The robot arm, which intuitively moves outwards, helps here.

The biggest strengths are navigation and obstacle detection. In practice, the robot avoids obstacles and reliably detects cables. The robot made no mistakes during the entire test period. Impressive, considering this is the manufacturer’s first vacuum robot.

Conclusion: Is the DJI Romo P worth it?

DJI’s dive from the sky into the home was successful. The Romo P impresses with good navigation, solid suction power, and flawless obstacle detection. One reason for this is its extensive experience in the drone industry. The only weak point of the vacuum cleaner is the mopping function. The robot is unable to completely remove dried-on stains, in particular.

On the other hand, the station scores with numerous convenience features. For example, hot water cleaning and hot air drying are on board, as well as a suction function. The purchase price is bold. According to the recommended retail price, it is a whopping 1,899 euros. Not even the vacuum robot with gripper arm (test) costs that much. The high price tag makes it difficult to recommend a purchase. The DJI Romo P is not bad – on the contrary. It can keep up with vacuum robots from Dreame and Roborock in some respects, but not leave them behind.

Pros:

• Spectacular design
• Good suction power on hard floors
• Excellent obstacle detection
• Numerous functions of the station

Cons:

• Weaknesses when mopping
• Expensive